


Coming to Terms

by achievemenhunter



Series: The Black Keep (Mad King Ryan - Medieval Freewood AU) [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mad King Ryan, Medieval AU, minecraft au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-26
Updated: 2014-03-30
Packaged: 2018-01-17 02:24:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1370422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/achievemenhunter/pseuds/achievemenhunter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*Spoilers for Captive - please read that first*</p><p>Negotiations between the Ramsey and Haywood kingdoms are about to get underway. The Mad King decides it'd be fun to stir up the hornet's nest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was a little overwhelmed by how many people wanted a sequel to Captive, so I certainly hope that this will live up to your expectations.
> 
> Sadness, angst and suggestive themes ahoy! Enjoy!

 

The messenger bowed low before Geoff, who was seated at his drawing room desk next to Griffon, both of them pouring over the documents scattered on its surface.

 

"Pardon the intrusion, Your Majesties. We've just received a new missive." He displayed the scroll in his hand, sealed with black wax.

 

Geoff rubbed at his face, entirely too exhausted for it being three in the afternoon. "Don't worry about it. Set it down with the others."

 

The messenger stepped forward, then hesitated. "...It's from the Mad King, my Lord."

 

Both of the monarchs' heads shot up and Geoff hands involuntarily crunched around the piece of parchment in his hands.

 

"Hand it over," Geoff ordered brusquely, his usually genial treatment of his servants forgotten. The messenger quickly passed the scroll to his King, and, when Geoff waved a hand distractedly at him, scampered out of the room.

 

Griffon clasped her hands together tightly, fingernails biting into skin as Geoff broke the seal. His eyes darted over the words and his face grew haggard. He finished and ground the heels of his hands against his eyes, letting out a shaky sigh.

 

"Geoff, what does it say? Give me the damn-" she reached across and snatched the missive from him.

 

"He wants to negotiate the terms of our surrender," Geoff whispered from behind his fingers. "And if we refuse, he'll march on the castle."

 

"What, he wants to take  _more_  from us?" she replied savagely, eyes scouring the parchment. "Get me an axe, I'll give him  _plenty_."

 

The ghost of a smile flitted across Geoff's face, but it vanished all too quickly. "Don't tempt me. But you know the etiquette of war. We lost. We're going to have to cede some of our lands and holdings to him. We're lucky that he's decided to talk peace - he could crush us if he wanted to." He pinched the bridge of his nose at his wife's still-furious expression. "I don't like it any more than you do, but we can't afford not to do this. Our armies are in fucking  _pieces_ , Griffon. We can't let the people suffer more than they already have."

 

She tossed the scroll onto the table and put her hand on his arm. "There has to be something we can do about this. We can't just roll over for him."

 

But Geoff shook his head, briefly scrunching his eyes closed. "You know there isn't."

 

A particularly unladylike growl coiled itself in Griffon's throat. "He going to be so damn  _smug_  the entire time, I just know it. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep myself from trying to strangle him."

 

Geoff glanced briefly at the parchment again and looked over at her hesitantly. "Not just that... I don't know if you saw, but he's scheduled the first meeting to be on Gavin's Found Day." They had never been able to figure out the Prince Regent's actual birthdate, since he had been too young to remember it when he'd been adopted. Instead, they'd celebrated the day when Geoff had chanced upon the small boy while on a hunting trip. Like both the King and Queen's birthdays, it was a public event and day off, so it wasn't too surprising that Ryan had managed to figure it out. "It can't be a coincidence. Griffon, he's... he's going to bring up Gavin."

 

Griffon's face went pale, a shadow of grief settling around her eyes. "He wouldn't," she said doubtfully.

 

"Of course he would. He hates me - I  _did_  kill his father, remember. And it turns out that he actually  _saw_  me do it, which just makes things worse."

 

"Oh god, Geoff..."

 

"You have to listen to me," he said seriously, gripping her hands with his own. "He'll make up all sorts of things to try and get a rise out of us. He'll probably say that Gavin's not dead, that he's been torturing him this whole time while we've done nothing. For our own sakes, we'll have to ignore it as best we can."

 

"There's no chance of it being true?" Griffon asked, selfish hope blooming in her heart.

 

But Geoff shook his head. "I was there. I told you, Gavin's gone."

 

She let out a shuddering sigh. "I know it's horrible of me to almost want that, but I just wish that he was alive. What I wouldn't give..." She trailed off, her eyes misting with tears.

 

Geoff swallowed around the lump in his throat and squeezed her hands. "Me too."

 

~* * *~

 

"Really? You'll let me go?"

 

Ryan smiled down at Gavin, smoothing the younger man's spiky mess of hair as Gavin rested his head on Ryan's bare chest. Gavin had thought the best time to bring up the question would be after sex, but he was still a little astounded that Ryan had agreed to let him join the treaty delegation to the Ramsey kingdom.

 

"Of course." Ryan told him. "I said I would if you proved that you felt you belonged here." He reached down suddenly and squeezed Gavin ass, earning him a small, surprised squeak. "I would say that you've done that by now, wouldn't you?"

 

Gavin absently trailed a finger through the thin patch of hairs on Ryan's chest, his body slotted against the older man's like it had been designed to fit there. He was filled with a warm glow that had nothing to do with the crackling fireplace ensconced in the far wall, or the heat radiating from the contact of skin on skin. "Yeah," Gavin said quietly. "I think I have."

 

~* * *~

 

Gavin nervously adjusted the collar of his shirt, wishing that it wasn't so open and doing such a poor job of covering the love bites on his collarbones and neck. The months had passed quickly, and autumn had arrived in a flurry of colour, the forests stained in brilliant reds and oranges as the trees prepared to lose their leaves. Now that they were actually here, standing outside the doors to the Great Hall in the Ramsey castle, Gavin was filled with doubt. Would Geoff even want to see him again? Would Griffon? Surely she knew what he'd done by now. Why on earth had he asked Ryan to let him come along to the treaty negotiations?

 

Ryan noticed the younger man's fidgeting, and leaned over his shoulder, voice low. "I hope you're not  _ashamed_  of me, Gavin."

 

"N-no, I'm just- I-"

 

Ryan chuckled. "You're nervous to see them. I can understand that. Still, let's not keep them waiting. Shall we?"

 

~* * *~

 

"Your Majesties, are you sure this is a good idea? It seems this would only serve to cloud your judgement and make you more likely to speak in haste or anger."

 

With a displeased twist of his mouth, Geoff shook his head at the servant. "I appreciate your concern, but I don't think either of us feel capable of dealing with the Mad King while we're sober." Griffon nodded in agreement, and they each scooped up a goblet from the tray that the servant was holding out. Both of them downed their drinks in one go, setting the chalices back onto the tray and immediately grabbing for the next full cup. This one they sipped at a little more demurely, but it wasn't long before they were both reaching for a third.

 

The doors to the room opened, and another servant bowed low to the King and Queen. "Announcing the arrival of His Majesty, the King Ryan Haywood, and... escort." He added the last part uncertainly, casting a glance at the Ramsey monarchs.

 

For her part, Griffon dropped her goblet, wine splashing up the skirt of her dress and the goblet itself clanking loudly on the floor. _"GAVIN!"_ she all but screeched, charging across the room in a most unqueenly fashion and sweeping the young man into her arms, clutching him tightly. "Oh, god, I thought you were dead!"

 

Gavin started in her grip. "What?" he asked, surprised, the words muffled against her shoulder.

 

She pulled back so she could look at him, noting with a frown that he was wearing Haywood clan colours, and that there were a number of suspiciously shaped bruises peeking out from underneath his collar. Over her shoulder, Ryan and Geoff's gazes met. Ryan smiled, amused at the mixture of shock and apprehension on the other man's face.

 

"Geoff told me you were dead." She cast a confused look at her husband, who refused to meet her gaze. Gavin's face filled with sadness and pain.

 

"If that's what he thought was the best thing to tell you, then I can't blame him," he said softly. Her frown grew deeper, and she glanced again at the bruises on his neck.

 

"You look well. Except for those."

 

Her dawning suspicions were confirmed as Gavin blushed and muttered something undecipherable, breaking eye contact. Her grip on Gavin's shoulders tightened unconsciously, her fingernails digging in. Gavin cowered as she glared icily at Ryan, who switched his amused smile onto her.

 

 _"What have you done,"_ she hissed, voice low and dangerous as she protectively and instinctively pushed Gavin behind her. Gavin didn't know how Ryan was able to stand up against the fury practically rolling off Griffon in waves, but the Mad King just continued to grin.

 

"Me? I've just opened Gavin's eyes to what he really wanted."

 

A brittle laugh slipped through Griffon's teeth. "You say that like you gave him a choice."

 

"Odd you should say that, seeing as I did. He's a grown man, after all, and he can make his own decisions. I offered to let him return here for good, but he chose to stay at the Black Keep."

 

"Gavin?" she asked, the barest trace of uncertainty in her voice as she continued to stare fiercely at the Mad King.

 

"...It's true. But-"

 

"But now isn't the time for personal dramas, surely?" Ryan clasped his hands together. "I believe we have a few more pressing matters to attend to."

 

"Of course. We'll discuss things in the council room," Geoff replied stiffly, taking Griffon by the arm and forcing her back a few steps. It took considerable effort to shift her. Gavin fell in step with Ryan, suddenly feeling small next to Ryan's broad shoulders and swirling cloak.

 

"This is going to be  _fun_ ," Ryan murmured, too low for anyone but Gavin to hear him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand here's part two! Ended up being a little longer than expected - over 3,000 words, in fact. 
> 
> Man, I can't believe it's been almost three months since I posted the first chapter of Captive. I never thought it would get as long as it did, let alone that I'd write a sequel. And, speaking of...
> 
> Drama! Angst! Sadness! Smut (sorta)! Fluff! Also, a little bonus snippet at the end!
> 
> Enjoy!

Geoff pulled out a seat for Griffon, who took it without thanking him. He let out an almost imperceptible sigh, then settled himself in his own chair - which was the largest and effectively put him at the head of the table, despite the table itself being circular in shape. Gavin automatically headed towards the chair to his right, years of learning and applying proper etiquette dictating it to be his place. He hesitated as the thought occurred to him that it was almost definitely  _not_  his place anymore.

 

Ryan, of course, chose to flout any sense of tradition, and seated himself at the exact opposite end of the table without waiting for an invitation to do so, lounging comfortably against the upholstery of his chair. Like always, he noticed Gavin's moment of indecision, and, with a slightly supercilious smile, called out, "Gavin, why don't you come sit with me, there's a good lad."

 

Geoff's face was thunderous as Gavin scampered to the Mad King's side, sitting down at Ryan's right. With a growl in his voice, Geoff called his advisors into the room. Smirking at the disgruntled King, Ryan called for his own retinue to join them. There were four for Geoff and only two for Ryan, and once they'd gotten all the all the proper niceties out of the way and they'd all taken their seats, the vast majority of the places at the large table were still empty.

 

"Well, as the party that initiated these peace talks, I graciously offer to let you begin proceedings. I presume that you have received a list of my requests in exchange for re-establishing the Ramsey-Haywood treaty?" Ryan asked, unobtrusively sliding his right hand onto Gavin's thigh and squeezing gently.

 

With a distasteful expression, Geoff indicated for one of his advisors to unroll one of the scrolls that had been brought in and read it out loud.

 

"In recompense for ceasing all hostilities against the Ramsey kingdom, His Majesty the King Ryan Haywood requests that His Majesty the King Geoffrey Ramsey relinquish territorial claim of the border fiefs of Kilcarney, Oakvale, Aston, Greymoore, Verrick-By-the-River and Ettleby. Furthermore, King Ryan would like to assure that all living within said fiefs will be permitted to leave without hindrance or extortion of tolls. However, he does express his deepest concerns for their safety if they do so, as once they cross over the new kingdom boundaries they will no longer be under the protection of his armies, and that the small force of men now kept by the Ramsey kingdom would be insufficient to effectively deter the efforts of bandits and highwaymen so far from the centre of their kingdom." The advisor cleared his throat uncomfortably at the not-so-subtle barb. Geoff scowled, the knowledge that the taunt was very much true not helping matters. His forces would be stretched thin for quite some time to come, especially in fiefs further from his castle, and there would always be those individuals who took advantage of such a weakness. It rankled with Geoff that not only would the people in those fiefs be safer as part of Ryan's domain, it would also reduce the area that Geoff's soldiers were required to protect and make their jobs just that little bit less stressful in the coming years. The advisor cleared his throat again and continued. "In addition to the acquisition of these lands and the incomes derived from their tradable goods..."

 

Gavin felt his mind drifting, the monotone words of the advisor all blurring into a nonsensical jumble of syllables. He'd never had the patience for these things, and the abject anger on Geoff and Griffon's faces was making it hard to concentrate.

 

So was the hand that was now slowly inching its way up his thigh.

 

He sent a panicked look to Ryan, begging him not to do this  _here._  Hadn't organising for Geoff to be brought into the Black Keep's throne room when Gavin was sitting on Ryan's lap already been enough?

 

Apparently not, if the quick, wicked grin the Mad King flashed at him now was anything to go by. Gavin felt himself shrivel with horror as he realised that Ryan had planned this encounter, too. But, despite himself, he was finding it harder and harder to care as Ryan's hand travelled inexorably upwards, gently stroking and massaging. Ryan's fingers caressed the inside of Gavin's thigh, slowly running up and down. Ryan continued to tease him as Geoff's advisor droned on for several more minutes, and Gavin cursed his chair for not being designed with any arm rests for him to grip onto. He settled for clasping his hands tightly on the table in front of him, in spite of the inherent danger of this action. After all, the more of his body was exposed to the rest of the members of the meeting, the more likely they were to figure out something untoward was going on. But, he knew that if he grabbed the bottom of the chair to keep himself from reacting, his shoulders would be much more likely to hunch at any sudden action on Ryan's part, and he reasoned that clenching his fingers around each other would be a less noticeable action. Gavin's leg twitched and he bit back a moan as Ryan finally brushed his fingers along Gavin's clothed erection. One of Ryan's advisors glanced over at the young man, but both he and his companion were very much aware of the state of affairs between Gavin and their King, and he ignored the developing situation.

 

Gavin had no such luxury. The worst part was, he knew that it was going to go absolutely nowhere. The way Ryan was palming the front of Gavin's pants would only serve to make the younger man hot and bothered without actually resolving anything, not without physical, skin-on-skin contact. Even Ryan didn't have the audacity to actually unlace Gavin's pants and jerk him off at the meeting table. But Gavin was determined to not let it show - and, most of all, to not let Geoff and Griffon figure out what was going on, because god knew things were tense enough between them as it stood.

 

The advisor was reaching the end of the document, and Gavin managed to keep his face in a passive mask of indifference. Ryan leaned in close and whispered, "Well done," moving his hand away as the advisor finished. Gavin forced himself not to whimper. "I have one small addendum to make," he raised his voice, and all eyes turned to him. "In light of Gavin's choice to take up permanent residency at the Black Keep, I would like to request that his title as Prince Regent of the Ramsey kingdom be rescinded, and that instead he be named Prince Regent of the Haywood kingdom."

 

This was met with immediate uproar. Geoff's advisors argued that there was no precedent for this, that it was likely in violation of some law to do such a thing, while Geoff himself started yelling that Ryan was requesting the change as a continued act of revenge, Griffon adding her agreement to the general din. Ryan waited with a slightly raised eyebrow for the other side of the table to settle down. Gavin was completely stunned, not even his facial muscles responding to the commands from his brain that were telling him he should be reacting in some way. Instead, he sat, paralysed, and island of shocked calm in the face of the storm.

 

"Please, if everyone would calm down, we can discuss this in a civilised manner," Ryan chided. The Ramsey monarchs glared at him, but stopped shouting and sat back in their chairs. "Of course, we need Gavin's consent before we even consider deciding whether or not this is a viable option. Gavin?"

 

Clearing his throat to buy himself time to find his voice again, Gavin offered a hesitant, "Well, I kind of figured that Geoff would have already abandoned me as heir..."

 

"An excellent point. Geoffrey?"

 

"Our records show Gavin as deceased," Geoff replied reluctantly. Griffon's lips thinned at this, but she said nothing. "His title would have been automatically rescinded then."

 

"Well, that certainly simplifies things. You no longer have claim over his loyalty or allegiance, so you have no real say in who he does choose to align himself with. Gavin, do you wish to be named as my heir?"

 

Without looking at Geoff or Griffon, Gavin nodded.

 

"Wonderful! We'll plan the coronation once we're back at the Black Keep - it'll do the people good to have a holiday, they're hard-working folk and deserve a day off." He smiled over at the Ramseys, serenely ignoring their seething anger. "After all, there is still much to do here." Gavin almost yelped as Ryan's hand slid onto his leg again, but the older man just gave him a comforting squeeze before withdrawing. "Geoffrey, if you'd be so kind to deliver your counter-proposal..."

 

~* * *~

 

It had been a long day. Gavin's head spun with everything that had happened, and he needed some time to himself before going back to the room that he and Ryan were sharing. Ryan had certainly caused another outcry with that request, Gavin thought wryly. But, with a few measured words and not-so-subtle reminders about the Ramsey's current political position, the room assignment was grudgingly approved.

 

He wandered aimlessly through the corridors of the place that for the longest time had been his home. With a slight jolt, Gavin realised that in his mind, that title had now shifted to the Black Keep. The castle of his childhood would always hold fond memories for him, but actually being there tainted everything bittersweet. He let his feet carry them where they would, and he inadvertently ended up just outside the royal chambers. He was about to turn and head back to his room when he heard voices, unmistakably the King and Queen of the castle. Curiosity winning out over his better judgement, Gavin snuck forward until he was within earshot.

 

"...How could you keep this from me?" Gavin could hear Griffon saying as he crept closer to the door. "What gave you the right?"

 

Geoff's tone was conciliatory. "I honestly thought it was the better option. It's been eating me  _alive_  knowing that that bastard had Gavin this whole time, and that there was nothing I could do about it. If I'd thought throwing what's left of our armies at the Black Keep would work, I would have done it in a heartbeat! I thought we'd never see him again! I didn't want you to have to go through what I was going through."

 

"I  _told_  you," she retorted angrily, refusing to be placated. "I  _told_  you when that godforsaken missive arrived, that I would have preferred him alive and being tortured than actually dead! You  _knew_  how horrible it made me feel to want that! Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

 

Gavin suddenly came to a complete standstill just to the side of the door. This was not a conversation he wanted to overhear, he knew. But his limbs refused to cooperate, and he had no choice but to listen to the argument unfold.

 

"What did you want me to  _say_ , Griffon?" Geoff's attempts at soothing his wife's temper gave way under his mounting frustration. " _'Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart, I've been_  lying _to you since I got back - our son's actually still alive, and is probably currently in the process of being_ fucked in the ass _by our greatest enemy, just thought you might want to know!'_ Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they're at it right now! You didn't  _see_  him in that throne room - Ryan had his hands all over him, and Gavin didn't even  _try_  to push him away once I was in the room-"

 

"I don't care!" Griffon's voice rose. "I thought he was dead! I  _mourned_  him, Geoff!"

 

 _"So did I!"_ Geoff matched her for volume. "You know why? Because our son  _is gone_. The man sitting across from us in that meeting wasn't the same man we raised from a boy. That person disappeared when he let the Mad King bend him over."

 

The sound of flesh against flesh rang out. Geoff made an indignant noise and stumbled back heavily. "How  _dare_  you say that," Griffon hissed, voice trembling. "He was a  _prisoner_  in that castle. How dare you simply disown him because of a situation he could do nothing about!"

 

"HE GAVE UP MY BATTLE PLANS!" Geoff roared, finally pushed past his breaking point. "He was disloyal to his kingdom! It only took Ryan an  _hour_  to get the information out of him. All those men that set out with me to rescue Gavin? They had lives here, and families, and people they cared about, and he  _betrayed_  all of them. Their deaths are on his head." He made a disgusted noise. "You wanted to know why I let you think Gavin was gone for good? Well, there you have it. I thought you'd prefer that to knowing he was a  _traitor_." His voice dropped to a broken whisper, grief suddenly replacing anger. "I know I'd feel better than I do if things had actually gone that way."

 

Gavin's limbs finally unfroze, tears streaking silently down his face as he hurried towards the stairs, not waiting around to hear what Griffon's response would be. The guards at the doors to his room looked concerned at his dishevelled appearance, and promptly stepped aside to let him in. He yanked on the iron doorhandle and flung himself into the room.

 

Ryan had been napping on the bed in just his shirt and kilt, but was startled awake by Gavin's sudden appearance. He was on his feet in an instant when he saw the clear distress on Gavin's face, crossing the room in quick strides and holding the younger man against his chest. Gavin's shoulders shook as he cried harder than he could ever remember doing before.

 

"Shhh," Ryan soothed, stroking Gavin's hair. "Don't cry, Gavin. Tell me what happened."

 

"I was just going for a bit of a wander through the halls..." Gavin began unsteadily, fingers bunched into the front of Ryan's shirt. "And I could hear Geoff and Griffon talking. I didn't  _mean_  to start eavesdropping, it just sort of happened..." He let out a hiccupping sob before quietly continuing. "Geoff said that he wished I was dead."

 

Ryan's grip around Gavin tightened briefly. "I'm sure he was just angry, Gavin. He didn't really mean it."

 

"Yeah, angry at me," Gavin murmured. "He sounded pretty sure of himself when he said it."

 

"Gavin, I need you to look at me and answer me something." He pulled back, cupping Gavin's chin lightly in one hand and fixing the younger man with his gaze. "I need you to really think about this. Are you happy? Not with how you're feeling right now, but with where you've ended up. Are you happy, being with me?"

 

Gavin sniffled quietly, his mind working through its emotional state to get at how he truly felt. He thought of the nights he spent with Ryan, how when they'd finished Ryan would talk with him until Gavin fell asleep. How Ryan would take rides with him whenever his schedule permitted, or watch him practice his archery skills, or, more recently, teach him the basics of swordplay, something that Gavin had never been all that interested in until Ryan suggested it. He thought of how Ryan ensured that Michael and Ray were able to keep him entertained when Ryan was busy running the kingdom, and how important his friendship with the two guards had become to him.

 

Slowly, he nodded, wiping away his tears. "Yes. I am."

 

Ryan smiled softly. "Then that should be all that matters. As long as you are happy, you shouldn't care what anyone else says. You should base your happiness on how you feel, not how others feel about you." He took Gavin's hand gently and led him to the bed. Initially, he'd intended to make Gavin scream his name loud enough for the Ramseys to hear him - which wouldn't have been a particularly difficult feat, considering that his and Gavin's suite was directly below the royal chambers - but with Gavin in this fragile emotional state, he realised that sex would probably not be the best thing for the younger man at that junction. Instead, he and Gavin both got dressed for bed, slipping under the covers. Gavin nestled against Ryan's body, hugging him tight as the sovereign rubbed small circles onto his back. Ryan dropped a kiss onto Gavin's disorderly locks, lovingly wiping away the last of the younger man's tears.

 

"Sleep well, my Prince."

 

 

[Bonus]:

 

> The morning meal the next day was a tense affair. Geoff and Griffon refused to look at each other, or Gavin. Which was just as well, because Gavin couldn't bring himself to look at them, either. He ate quickly and sparingly, offering a curt, "May I be excused," before leaving without waiting for an actual answer.
> 
>  
> 
> Silence fell between the three monarchs sitting at the table. The Ramseys tried their best to ignore Ryan, who would smile at them without humour every time their eyes invariably landed on him. He picked over his food meticulously, practically forcing them to leave first.
> 
>  
> 
> With an aggravated sigh, Griffon pushed away her half-eaten plate and stood. "I can't stomach this anymore," she declared, shoving her chair out and stalking away. The mood hanging between the two men remaining at the table became openly hostile. Geoff tore a hunk of bread in half, pretending it was Ryan's neck. For his part, Ryan continued to eat daintily while Geoff brutalised his food, only his sharp eyes betraying his true anger. Finally, Geoff became sick of the mind games, standing abruptly.
> 
>  
> 
> Ryan followed suit and stepped in close, way too close for comfort, and suddenly he had Geoff's bicep in a painfully tight hold.
> 
>  
> 
> "What do you think you're doing?" Geoff snarled, ineffectively trying to pull himself free from the other man's grip. Ryan glared at him, jerking Geoff's arm so that he was thrown off-balance.
> 
>  
> 
> Geoff fell against him, and Ryan grabbed him roughly by the collar. He put his mouth next to Geoff's ear and whispered harshly, "The next time you and your wife decide to have a discussion about someone behind their back, I'd suggest making sure they're not around to listen in. I had a very distraught Gavin come to me last night, because he overheard you say that you wished he was dead. He is the Prince Regent of the Haywood kingdom now, and such words could be considered a threat." He shoved the older man away contemptuously. "I'd be more careful with your words in the future. We wouldn't want the peace negotiations to break down already, now would we?"
> 
>  
> 
> Straightening his rumpled clothes, Geoff went to retort, but Ryan had already turned on his heel, cloak swishing behind him.
> 
>  
> 
> Which was probably for the best, all things considered. There wasn't a whole lot Geoff could have said in response to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *heaves a sigh* Wow, I really can't believe this done and dusted now! Thanks to everyone who's been along for the ride, or even just picked it up. This wouldn't have gotten as far as it did with the crazy amount of support it got. Hugs for everyone!
> 
> (And yeah, Ryan totally bones Gavin on the meeting room table once everyone leaves. I *would* have written that in, but it was getting too long already. Sorry.)


End file.
